I have been to Docks twice in my life, once for a “Skins Party” which was a rave involving whipped cream, confetti (I swear I still occasionally find some in my pants pockets), and loud electronic music. The second time was for a concert, Juliette and the Licks, to be precise. These two events very accurately demonstrate the magnificent ability of Docks, and many other locations around Hamburg, to change their image. From the wide range of bars convieniently located around the club (I bought drinks at at least three completely different locations within the event itself) to the shockingly unexpected beautiful architechture of the building, everything at this venue screams class, and at the same time, the parties scream, well, something different and definitely less classy that rhymes with class.
© The Docks / pure-fm.de
Located on the historic Spielbudenplatz, close to the Davidswache and the Tanzende Türme, Docks has a wide entrance that resembles the entrances to theaters in the fifties. You head inside through big open doors, and can then either turn left or continue on. There are bars in both directions, no worries there! Due to the large range of events, you only have to look on the website, www.docks-prinzenbar.de, to find something that interests you. They’ve got everything, from Hip Hop and RnB partys to Heavy Metal. They’ve got Swing parties, Hip Hop parties, I even saw an ad for a Latin music party next weekend! Prinzenbar has more singer songwriter concerts, this is just due to the snuggly atmosphere of the small historic bar. Both the Docks and Prinzenbar are connected, and to my utter joy, the smokers lounge in Docks is the Prinzenbar.
After pushing your way through the crowd, you can climb up the stairs to an old cave-like room with roses carved into the stone in the ceiling, a huge mirror over the bar, and the best part? A TV with a live satellite image of the concert happening below.
Normally the smokers miss part of the concert, or the rest of the crowd has to accept the fact that they’ll inhale second hand smoke the whole time, but the separate smokers lounge set up really impressed me. Prinzenbar is the “sister-bar” of Docks, and even though it has its own concerts it is still very well connected to Docks. The wide selection of concerts and parties make both of these places worth a look at when coming to Hamburg, and who knows, maybe you’ll find a new favorite band!
DOCKS
Spielbudenplatz 19
D-20359 Hamburg
